Mindy Smith - Manchester Club Academy

4th gig of the year and as a strange coincidence they have so far all been sit-down affairs, which frankly is a bonus in my book. Gotta rest me weary bones and all that. Am I getting to old for this shit?

Anyway onto the nights entertainment - the opener was a Scots chap called Gillan Edgar. He didn't set my world on fire but he was more that OK. A decent bunch of songs and a fair line in 'tween song banter. No complaints from me of a wasted half-hour.

So what of the main event Mindy Smith herself? Having been reliably informed that her last two shows were not her best efforts what with missing notes, being out of tune, forgetting lines and generally sounding, as the boys from Word would have it "suitably refreshed" I was, to say the least a little concerned. However those fears turned out to be completly unfounded tonight as she sounded great. OK so she had a bit of trouble hitting the really high notes during the first couple of tunes but once warmed up she was note perfect. Though granted, she didnt help her cause by forgetting the lyrics of Please Stay - a song about her mother's death - but I suppose if you are going to fluff a song make sure it's your most poignant. She came out after to do a little signing and I got the 2nd CD sorted - nice lady.

As is my habit I managed to swipe a set list - though I forgot to get it signed, d'oh!

Out Loud
Cure For Love
Tennessee
Orphan Girl
Fighting For It All
Out Of Control
Falling
Long Island Shores
Raggedy Ann
You Just Forgot
NEW SONG*
One Moment More
Please Stay
Come To Jesus
=================
Jolene
Peace Of Mind

My only other complaint was that the 2nd guitar [a Martin as it happens, which I only know cos it's written on the set list] had a nasty tinny echo. Video's to be posted once processed, and here they are...


* this is as shown on the set list I can't recall the actual name.

Gig Update

Whoo and indeed hoo - contrary to previous reports Sheryl Crow's gig at La Scala is NOT actually sold out! So thanks for Orange/See I have now reserved two tickets to be purchased on the morrow. I'm really quite excited about it. No pictures but I plan to bootleg :)

Thea and Sheryl in one week. Sometimes life can be so kind.

Nerina Pallot - St. Helier #2

well I am back home [no quarter in pocket or apple to eat ] after the farce that was Airport Security. Boy I feel real safe I can tell ya. If I'd been an international terrorist my plans would have been well foiled and no mistake.

Anyways 2nd night with OBL at the Jersey Opera House and the bad news was that the set was exactly the same as Saturday nights...the good news though is we got an extra TWO whole songs, one of which was yet another newbie! Thus it was...

Idaho
Half Way Home
Long Tall Grass Of Summer
Patience
When Did I Become Such A Bitch?
Learning To Breathe
I Used To Love You Till You Tried To Kill Me
Hard Time Believing
Mr. King
Love Will Tear Us Apart
I'm Gonna Be Your Man
Dear Frustrated Superstar
Everybody's Gone To War
The Right Side
============
It Was Me
Sophia

I really like Bitch it's a lovely tune, very Regina Spektor stylee song, and I swear her singing sounds different during this - though it might be just me. As for I Used To Love You I didn't ask when I had the chance but I do expect heavy use of parenthesees in here somewhere. Again very upbeat musically but shudder to think how autobiographical this is given the events of the last two years.

I managed to have a chat with her post show and she's keen to get the album completed by the autumn and for there to be a tour to go with it. OBL informed me she's no where near done as she wants to have about 20 completed songs from which to pick the twelve best. My money would be on I Wanna Be Your Man making the cut as it's now nearly 3 years old and still getting a live airing. I'm also routing for Heidi and not just cos it has the Douglas Adams quote - but mainly cos it does.

I do know some folk are going to complain that most of these songs wouldnt look out of place on Fires as they did about stuff from there being from DFS but what do they want? A Kylie-like reivention and change of direction? Well they would be wrong.

Nerina Pallot - St. Helier #1

greetings and salutations from a rather lovely coffee shop in the middle of St. Helier. Oh broadband interwebs n caffine...my idea of heaven.

So last night's gigular action. Well for starters they don't muck about here in Jersey - the 7.3o on the ticket is 7.30 on the stage for the support act! Despite being told that that was the time for the doors. So I turns up at 7.25 and nearly misses the start! Oh and as a bit of a coinkidink I discovered that the young lady providing support for tonight works in this very coffee shop. Last night's support was Esther Parker - a fact I am aware of solely as there is a poster of said songstress on the wall :) it's a small world but I wouldnt want to paint it as they say.

So as for OBLs performance - once again short but none the less sweet - shorter than usual in fact as she has been know to run to 2 entire songs in the encore!

Set list comprised of
Idaho

Half Way Home

Long Tall Grass Of Summer

Patience

When Did I Become Such A Bitch

Learning To Breath

I Used To Love You Till You Tried To Kill Me

Hard Time Believing

Mr. King

I'm Gonna Be Your Man

Dear Frustrated Superstar

Everybodys Gone To War

The Right Side

======
Sophia


===========================================================================
Of the new songs she'd posted LTGoS on mySpace so it was familiar but Bitch, I Used To Love You, Hard Time Believing and The Right Side were all premiers - and very nice too. Along with the stuff that she did @ Madame Jo-jo's back in 06, the new album when it arrives should be a corker. I know of some who would have shouted "do some old" but they would be wrong. :)

Here are some pics I managed to get before the Camera Nazis shut me down.

Leaving On A Jet Plane

well this is fun...s'only taken half an hour to get connected - so much for high speed interwebs :P

anyhew here I am at jolly old Manchester Airport, sat in the departure lounge waiting to catch the flight to Jersey. Figured I would kill a little bit of time and boredom but the sheer heck of trying to log in has sort of taken the shine off it...

anyhew logging off now - see you in Sunny Joyzee

Mission Failure

Well the hopes n dreams of my keeping track of my giggin have come to nowt. I tried emailing a post last night from outside the venue [ooh feel the technology!] and that vanished into the ether. Then my bootleg sounds crap, having set the recording volume wrong [ do'h] the videos wont upload to either youtube [spits] or Divshare and cos I cant install poxy MS Photodraw I cant do anything with the pictures - some of which were actually pretty good :P

So what was the gig actually like? Support was some local lad who as you may notice from the lack of name check didnt make much of an impression. As for David Ford himself - he was in fine form and a good time was indeed had. It was in, relation to the M&C sets last month, a short set - 65mins from start to end. Though I think we may have gotten one more tune if something hadnt broken.

Anyway a good start to the gig season. Off to sunny Jersey tomorrow for two shows from Nerina Pallot. Hopefully I wont fuck up the recording this time :P

Update - managed to salvage two videos - here's All Right Now & Everybody Knows



later.

Gig List 2008 v3.1

Yet more gigular goodness. Just booked front row seats for myself and young Mr Gray to see Feist at the Manchester Palace Theatre, Manchester on 22/05/2008. A quick look at the old gig list will see however that this means ditching Amy Macdonald [ she seems to be always the one poor thing ] but I'll have seen her twice already this year and Feist is a one off sit down :)

Also added today - thanks to the eagled eyed Mike - Sarabeth Tucek is indeed playing northern climes and is at the Night & Day, Manchester on 28/02/2008. She has a date in Leeds the next day but I think thats a gig too far :P

So a good day all round really :))

Gig List 2008 v3

1	1	23/01/2008	David Ford - Nottingham	x
2	2	26/01/2008	Nerina Pallot - Jersey	BOC
3	3	27/01/2008	Nerina Pallot - Jersey	BOC
4	4	29/01/2008	Mindy Smith - Manchester	x
5	5	31/01/2008	Stars - Manchester	x
6		03/02/2008	Stuart Maconie - L S Lowry Lecture	x
7	6	04/02/2008	Laura Veirs - Manchester	x
8	7	09/02/2008	Helen Boulding - Manchester [support]	x
9	8	10/02/2008	Amy MacDonald - Liverpool [date change]	x
10	9	12/02/2008	Thea Gilmore - Swindon	x
11	10	22/02/2008	Amy MacDonald - Manchester	x
12	11	23/02/2008	Tegan & Sara - Leeds [Mike buying]
13	12	26/02/2008	Kate Walsh - Salford	x
14	13	01/03/2008	Kate Nash - Wolverhampton
15	14	03/03/2008	Tina Dico - Manchester
16	15	04/03/2008	Kate Nash - Manchester	x
17	16	05/03/2008	Tina Dico - London	x
18	17	08/03/2008	Laura Marlin - Manchester [ with CD order]
19		16/03/2008	COMEDY - Lucy Porter - The Lowry	x
20	18	19/03/2008	Kathryn Williams & Neill MacColl - Bury	x
21	19	20/03/2008	Celebrating Linda Smith - Bury	x
22		06/04/2008	COMEDY I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue - Salford	xx
23	20	09/04/2008	Eileen Rose - London [email receipt]
24	21	11/04/2008	KT Tunstall - London
25		19/04/2008	*** RAGZ - TAURUS MANCHESTER ***
26		26/04/2008	COMEDY - Dara O'Briain - The Lowry	x
27	22	22/05/2008	Amy Macdonald - Manchester
28	23	12/10/2008	Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers -Manchester

Cover Me

There are covers and then there are covers...there are some songs that are best left alone and those "classics" that just about bear the brunt of re-recording over and over. It's not often that a cover can be classed better than the original - Fiona Apple's version being a case in point [ or any Dylan song NOT sung by his Bobness ] and this is another...I give you Thea Gilmore, no stranger to taking someone else's song and making it her own, and the disco classic that is...You Spin Me Right Round.

from disco to folk in one easy lesson

Ch-ch-changes...

As you can seen I've been tweeking twiddling and generally buggering about with the layout. New to this blogging malarky so just trying things out till I finally stumble on something I likes for keeps. Well more than a couple of weeks.

Right off to watch Torchwood.

Gig List 2008 v2.3

Date changes and updates...
09/02/07 Helen Boulding - Manchester [new]
10/02/07 Amy Macdonald - Liverpool [rescheduled]
19/04/07 Ragz - Manchester [ not yet confirmed ]

Good News Today

Seems like the Gig Gods are smiling down on me. Helen Boulding finally decides to play a gig in deepest Manchester and what happens? It's double booked with Amy Macdonald in Liverpool. Anyhew I figured I would ditch the wee Scotty Lass for Ms B. seeing as I was going to see her in Manchester the following week. So today I get an email saying the gig has been "brought foward" to the Sunday [ yeah I dont understand that either ] so the upshot of all this that I can do BOTH gigs! Yeah for me! Sorry I know inappropriate behaviour for a 40yr old man but I still get giddy at the prospect of some gigular action.

Identity Purge

I've had a bit of a clear out at the old My/Book pages. Having been spammed for the 1000th time buy some cheap whore I decided to take myself a little more "off grid" not entirely invisible - after all I still wish to communicate with my friends, just make myself a little harder to find to the casual observer. I may even get bored with this blog :P

New Music #2

Sarabeth Tucek - Sarabeth Tucek

After the trials and tribulations and general nastyness with iTunes [DO.NOT.WANT] in trying to aquire Sarabeth's eponimous debut album it arrived today - thanks Play you're a splendid bunch.

Only played it through the once so far but having bought it on the strength of one track I very am pleased to report it as every bit as lovely as I hoped it would be. Fitting in with the likes of Cat Power, Feist and Jenny Lewis - she's got a rich deep voice, at times sounding like a female Neil Young only not so whiney.

Will have to keep and eye out for gigular activity - she's worth a day trip methinks except of course she's playing London on the 21/22/23 January, which would be penriffic were it not the weekend jaunt to Joyzee. Blast!

I cant do one of those insighful Word/Q/Mojo stylee reviews so you are just going to have to make do with that.

New TV Review

Caught up with the weeks TV at last so I thought I'd do a review of the new stuff.

First off as mentioned before all 3 new shows were Canadian - seems to be getting posted due to the lack of US shows as a result of the still ongoing Writer's Strike, so without further ado in Alpha order...

The Border - A fairly generic cop show about a team of Customs & Imigration officials patroling the Canada/US Border. All the usual suspects are present husky hued bad guys, inter-departmental lack-of-cooperation, new sexy female muslim team member, boss who is shagging the hot blonde defence attorney. Oh yes indeed, no cliche is left unturned. At least, while it's hardly new or different to any other TV thriller, the acting is fairly decent and it's not painful to watch. This will do till 24 day 7 arrives, which we are promised is actually going to be good and not suck, like day 6 did big time.

So moving on to jPod - a drama/comedy based on the Douglas Coupland novel [ Not read it]. The set up is that a bunch of 20 something computer geeks, working for a huge computer games company, all with surnames beginning with J have ended up in the same basement "pod". The main protagonist is Ethan, a guy with plenty of problems - mum is a marijuanna grower and dad a serial philaderer who's having an affair with a girl Ethan went to school with. I found myself quite enjoying this, lots of stuff going on, decent acting and writing. Will be sticking with this for a while and see how it develops. However, warning to self - likeing this show will no doubt be it's downfall and it will be cancelled before the end of the season.

And finally we come to Sophie - Sitcom about a 9 month pregnant woman & talent agent who finds her life going down the toilet. Her boyfriend leaves her, her clients leave her [ to go to the boyfriends new agency ] and she's just gone into labour. Oh will the hilarity never start??? OK lets be fair, it's NOT utterly dreadful but there were no laugh out loud moments. It was just sorta amusing. It will get watched during this quiet period but once things get busy unless it improves it will get dropped.

Update on Cashmier Mafia is that it's getting the elbow from my schedules. As "new man" as I may want to be [ and I can be pretty damn squishy :P] I don't have enough estrogen cursing through my veins to be able watch this.

I am still watching Flash Gordon, for no adequatly explored reason. I think it's like junk food TV. I know it's bad but I can't help myself. More shockingly the SciFi network has yet to can it, though they havent renewed it either. The omens to not bode well.

Tonight also sees the official premier of the excessivly titled Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicals. The pre-air pilot was a bit [read a lot] naff. Will take a 2nd punt at it to see if the've any changes...again will give it a go while things are quite but if it doesnt show any improvement it will get dropped faster than the Austrian Oak can say "oil be bark"

Hasta la vista baybees!

New TV

well the post christmas filler season has started, so in alphabetical order we have...
The Border - Cop Show about the Canada/US Border
jPod - another Canadian show this time a drama/comedy based on the Douglas Coupland novel
Sophie - one last Canadian show but this time a sitcom.

Seems like the canuks are helping to cover for the writers strike, I will watch and report back...

This week also sees the return of 30 Rock; Big Shots; Carpoolers; Criminal Minds; CSI LV & NY; ER; Gray's Anatomy; Medium & My Name Is Earl....s'been a good week on terrestial so lots to do.

Oh and the second ep of Cashmere Mafia appeared - I downlowded but have again yet to watch, but I doubt it's going to convince me to stay, but you never know your luck in a raffle :P

PS Vote Wiggam in '08!

Not Crowded Enough

Got home today to find that my Crowded House Live in Manchester CD has FINALLY shown up. Only 6 weeks late! Still waiting on the Nottingham and London shows. I think LiveConcert.com hates me.

Anyhew I hope it's worth the wait.

On an unrelated subject while I'm here, iTunes, whom we have already established is the work of Satan and his horn-ned minions, STILL wont let me buy Sarabeth Tucek's album.
Do they want a blood sacrifice or summit? Well you and the horse you rode in on, I'm going to Play!

Desert Island Discs

Fiona Apple - Across The Universe

Blur - Song 2

Rosalie Deighton - Lie To Me

Thea Gilmore - Inverigo

Aimee Mann - Invisible Ink

Nerina Pallot - My Last Tango

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Michelle Shocked - Anchorage

Sarahbeth Tucek

bloody brilliant - itunes single of the week - so it's FREE! What more incentive d'ya want people??? Go on you know you wants to


oh and while we're all gathered together, here's the brand new single from everyone favourite Alaskan, Jewel...and regardless of what others may say it's SO much better than Avril's hiddiously shocking pink last effort

David Ford - MC7 #2 Videos

Milk & Cookies 7 - Manchester 18 December 2007

1 Easy [Like Sunday Morning]
2 Nothing Compares 2 U

Ramblings #1

Should anyone other than me be reading this I would like to make it absolutely clear that, however much it would appear to be...it's not a David Ford tribute blog... honest. Though the fact that he's also the first show of the year isn't going to improve that perception, cos hopefully there will be more vids, pics & booty goodness to share with the good folk of cyberspace.

I did start this because the My/Face pages didn't have anyway of posting the audio files from Mr Ford's Milk n Cookies gigs in Manchester. However it's grown now to be a sort of electronic record of my ever evolving gig diary, help to keep track of all the American telly I'm watching and what music I'm listening to and buying or otherwise aquireing.

Once the gig season kicks in at the end of January [ 2 Nerina shows, Mindy Smith & Stars all in one week!] I shall post stuff from other musicians than the beardy troubador.

So what else have I been up to? This is a blog after all so all this ramdom crap has to go somewhere...

Watched the Beatles inspired musical "Across The Universe" this evening - not as terrible as I thought it was going to be he says damning it with the faintest of praise. I've had the soundtrack for a while and it's reasonably listenable. However you could hear the creaking as some of the references were forced into the script. The set up for "she came in through the bathroom window" was just terrible... Don't watch it, just listen to the tunes which they don't manage to murder.

On the subject of US TV, I also finally watched some fresh episodes, though quite how long it's going to last with the writer's strike I don't know. Simpsons had the most elaborate "couch gag" I've seen in a while but it wasn't a classic ep nor was American Dad.

New show started this week Cashmier Mafia. A sort of 21st Century Sex And The City...now obviously I am not the "target demographic" for this show so there was very little to appeal to a 40yr old straight guy [ even the two girls kissing - talk about forcing a plot point for cheap tittilation!] so depeding on how busy and or bored I get , I may watch ep2 but it's very unlikely I'll get any more than that.
Am also several eps behind of Desparate Housewives and am currently debating if I can be bothered to try and catch up...

Hopefully the plaster on the bedroom wall will have finally dried and get painted, cos the new carpet arrives on Wednesday and I want to move back in ASAP.

Gotta go as the fatcat as chosen this moment to cough up a fur ball - yuk!

David Ford - MC7 #1 Videos

Milk & Cookies 7 - Manchester 17 December 2007

1 The Queen And The Soldier
2 The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
3 Jacky
4 I Want It That Way

David Ford - KRO Bar Videos

KRO Bar 25 September 2007

1. Nobody Tells Me What To Do
2. State Of The Union
3. Killing Me Softly [with His Song]
4. Cheer Up [ You Miserable Fuck]
5. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Gig List 2008 v2.2

not even had first gig of the year and already got a cancellation :(

Fiona Bevan's show at Bury tomorrow [ which was supposed to be the '08 opener ] I find is now postponed till the 29th...which I can't make cos I'm seeing Mindy Smith in Manchester. Booh and indeed hoo.

However good news is that I have confirmed the booking for Kathryn Williams & Neill MacColl at the Bury Met on 19th March and additionally have booked for an evening celebrating Linda Smith on the 20th, so swings and roundabouts really...

New Music #1

Cat Power - The Covers Album
Laura Veirs - Year Of The Meteors
Mindy Smith - One Moment More
Mindy Smith - Long Island Shores
Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
Sons & Daughters - This Gift

yes I had a Mininova moment :)

TV

30 ROCK	0210
AMERICAN DAD	0310
BACK TO YOU	0107
BIG BANG THEORY	0108
BIG SHOTS	0110
BIONIC WOMAN	0108
BONES	0309
BORDER	0102
BOSTON LEGAL	0411
CANTERBURYS LAW	0101
CARPOOLERS	0107
CHUCK	0111
CITY HOMICIDE	0114
CLOSER THE	0315
CRIMINAL MINDS	0311
CSI	0811
CSI MIAMI	0613
CSI NEW YORK	0412
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES	0410
DEXTER	0213
DIRTY SEXY MONEY	0110
ER	1413
FAMILY GUY	0607
FLASH GORDON	0118
GRAY'S ANATOMY	0411
HEROES	0211
HOUSE	0409
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER	0311
JOURNEYMAN	0113
jPOD	0102
KVILLE	0110
KYLE XY	0214
LAS VEGAS	0514
LIFE	0111
MEDIUM	0302
MEN IN TREES	0208
MONK	0612
MY NAME IS EARL	0313
NEW AMSTERDAM	0101
NUMB3RS	0412
PRIVATE PRACTICE	0109
PSYCH	0212
PUSHING DASIES	0109
REAPER	0109
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT	0209
SAMANTHA WHO	0109
SARAH SILVERMAN	0206
SAVING GRACE	0113
SCRUBS	0706
SHARK	0211
SIMPSONS	1910
SMALLVILLE	0709
SOPHIE	0102
SPICKS AND SPEKS	0341
STARGATE ATLANTIS	0413
SUPERNATURAL	0308
TERMINATOR : TSCC	0102
TIL DEATH	0209
TWO AND A HALF MEN	0510
WEEDS	0315
WOMENS MURDER CLUB	0109

LAST FM

Gig List 2008 v2.1

29/01/08 - Mindy Smith Manchester Club Academy [new]
12/10/08 - Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers [confirmed]

also considering Tom Baxter 09/03...
& can't make any of Gretchen Peters/Edwina Hayes dates as am in Jersey...

David Ford Milk & Cookies 2

Gig List 2008 v2

as at today... Dates in *** are not yet booked

1		08/01/2008	*** FIONA BEVAN - BURY ***
2	1	23/01/2008	David Ford - Nottingham x
3	2	26/01/2008	Nerina Pallot - St. Helier TBC
4	3	27/01/2008	Nerina Pallot - St. Helier TBC
5	4	31/01/2008	Stars - Manchester *
6		03/02/2008	Stuart Maconie - L S Lowry Lecture *
7	5	04/02/2008	Laura Veirs - Manchester *
8	6	09/02/2008	Amy MacDonald - Liverpool x
9	7	12/02/2008	Thea Gilmore - Swindon *
10	8	22/02/2008	Amy MacDonald - Manchester *
11	9	23/02/2008	Tegan & Sara - Leeds [Mike]
12	10	26/02/2008	Kate Walsh - Salford *
13	11	01/03/2008	Kate Nash - Wolverhampton x
14	12	03/03/2008	Tina Dico - Manchester *
15	13	04/03/2008	Kate Nash - Manchester *
16	14	05/03/2008	Tina Dico - London *
17	15	08/03/2008	Laura Marlin - Manchester x
18		16/03/2008	COMEDY - Lucy Porter - The Lowry *
19		19/03/2008	*** KATH WILLIAMS - BURY MET ***
20		06/04/2008	COMEDY - I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue - Salford *
21	16	09/04/2008	Eileen Rose - London [email]
22	17	11/04/2008	KT Tunstall - London x
23		26/04/2008	COMEDY - Dara O'Briain - The Lowry *
24		12/10/2008	*** GLEN TILBROOK - MANCHESTER ***

David Ford Milk & Cookies 1